Afternoon summary

Donald Tusk, the president of the European council, has said that the UK must produce new “concrete proposals” if it wants to see a breakthrough in the Brexit talks. (See 5.39pm.) He spoke out after Theresa May shored up her position on Brexit, quashing speculation about ministers resigning this week, at a three-hour cabinet meeting where ministers backed her refusal to agree to EU demands on the Irish backstop. (See 1.41pm.) But the cabinet meeting did not agree new policy, or take any decisions. Afterwards Jenny Chapman, the shadow Brexit minister, said:

With two days until a crucial EU summit, it is simply extraordinary that the cabinet can’t agree what its plan for Brexit is. If the cabinet can’t make a decision on Brexit, then what’s on earth is the point of it? Theresa May is in office, not in power.

Some 78 MPs, peers and MEPs have signed a letter to the director of intelligence at the National Crime Agency and the commander of specialist crime at the Metropolitan police asking them to continue criminal investigations into Vote Leave. The letter has been coordinate by the Green MEP Molly Scott Cato and the Labour MP Ben Bradshaw. Scott Cato said:

Legal impunity for politicians is what we expect from a banana republic, not a modern democracy. With several cabinet ministers having been on the Vote Leave campaign committee, this is clearly a politically sensitive inquiry. But all the more important that it should be carried out urgently and with no hint of political bias.

The voting public needs reassurance that those who break the law will face justice. But this is more than just prosecuting illegal activity, it is necessary to reassure citizens that nobody is above the law and that our legal framework protects our democracy.

The letter was prompted by a report by openDemocracy saying that “political sensitivities” had contributed to the Met’s decision to stall an investigation. The openDemocracy report said:

Following inquiries by openDemocracy, the Met revealed it has yet to start any formal investigation, and has remained effectively stalled for months in “assessing evidence”. Pushed on why there has been no progress, or no formal case logged, a Scotland Yard spokesman admitted there were issues and “political sensitivities” that had to be taken into account. The Yard spokesman later added that the political issues related to “any allegation or referral relating to an election, and much else besides.”

A robot has appeared before the Common education committee to tell MPs about the role of technology in classrooms, the Press Association reports. Pepper’s evidence on Tuesday was the first time a robot has answered questions at a committee. The robot is part of an international research project developing the world’s first culturally aware robots aimed at assisting with care for older people.

Introducing itself to the committee, Pepper bowed before saying:

Good morning, chair. Thank you for inviting me to give evidence today. My name is Pepper and I am a resident robot at Middlesex University.

As the Press Association reports, asked what role humans have in the fourth industrial revolution. Pepper replied:

Robots will have an important role to play, but we will always need the soft skills that are unique to humans to sense, make and drive value from technology. As technologies fuse and are used in ways that were not envisaged before, a new way of thinking is needed by tomorrow’s workers.

We will need people who can spot ideas and think across traditional sector divides to drive value from technological innovation.

Standing as it gave evidence, Pepper’s arms and head moved while it gave pre-programmed answers to questions which had sent in advance.

Responding to Donald Tusk’s call for new “concrete proposals” from Theresa May (see 3.09pm), the prime minister’s spokesman said:

The PM set out her position on where she thinks the negotiations are yesterday. Donald Tusk has set out his views today. The prime minister looks forward to having a face-to-face discussion with him in Brussels tomorrow.

When speaking to reporters Donald Tusk, the European council president, also called for new thinking on the Irish backstop issue. He said:

We need something very creative, while at the same time to protect our values and to protect [the] single market, and [at] the same time to fully respect the UK’s sovereignty. To me it is clear, the goal must be clear for all of us, but for this maybe we need a new method of thinking.

John Bercow has told friends that he intends to stand down as speaker next summer, the BBC is reporting. Bercow has not said anything publicly about this, and the new report just confirms stories that were around earlier in this summer (like this one, in the Times) saying that, instead of standing down this year as he promised when first elected, he would stay on until 2019 so that he can be in post for the key Brexit votes.

Tusk says May needs to be 'creative' to break Brexit impasse

The BBC’s Gavin Lee has posted on Twitter another quote from Donald Tusk.

Tusk, the president of the European council, says Theresa May needs to come up with a “creative” proposal to break the Brexit impasse.

Gavin Lee (@GavinLeeBBC)

#Brexit analogy of the week, from Donald #Tusk to the BBC : The Irish question looks like “a new version of the #GordianKnot” and that he “can’t see a new version of Alexander the Great. It’s not so easy to find this kind of creative leader.” He says 😮

Tusk says UK must produce new 'concrete proposals' if May wants breakthrough in Brexit talks

Turning back to Brexit, Donald Tusk, the president of the European council, has been speaking to journalists in Brussels. He has issued a challenge to Theresa May. He said:

Unfortunately the report on the state of the negotiations that I got from Michel Barnier today, as well as yesterday’s debate in the House of Commons, gives me no grounds for optimism before tomorrow’s European council on Brexit.

As I see it, the only source of hope for a deal for now is the goodwill and determination on both sides.

However, for a breakthrough to take place, besides goodwill we need new facts.

Tomorrow I am going to ask Prime Minister May whether she has concrete proposals on how to break the impasse. Only such proposals can determine if a breakthrough is possible.

While working on a Brexit deal, we also need to make sure that we are prepared in case an agreement is not possible or in case it is rejected. Therefore tomorrow the leaders will discuss how to step up our preparations for a no deal scenario.

But, as I have already stressed, the fact that we are preparing for a no deal scenario must not under any circumstances lead us away from making every effort to reach the best agreement possible for all sides.

And here are the key news lines.

Tusk said that without new “concrete proposals” from the UK, there will be no breakthrough in the Brexit talks.

He said the EU would discuss intensifying its no deal Brexit planning at this week’s summit.

There are “no grounds for optimism” on Brexit ahead of this week’s EU summit, he said. He said he was saying so on the basis of the update that he got from Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, as well as what he saw of the Commons debate on Brexit yesterday.

Sir Edward Leigh, a Conserative, says the speaker should be protected from political pressure. Can Leadsom guarantee that the executive will not try to pressurise the speaker at the House of Commons commission meeting on Monday.

Labour’s Ben Bradshaw says some of the contributions from Tory MPs are motivated by hostility towards John Bercow. He cannot speak back. At the time of Brexit, we need a speaker who will stand up for the House, he says.

Leadsom says the Commons should not have to rely on a single individual to do a good job as speaker.

The Labour MP Jess Phillips says she is not here to defend anyone, “including you Mr Speaker”. She says she has spoken to many of the victims. She suggests that James Duddridge (see 2.18pm) has not. She says he’s “neither right nor honourable”.

She says she thinks there are 12 MPs walking around who bully staff who will be allowed to continue.

John Bercow intervenes. He says all MPs are honourable.

Leadsom says, if Phillips knows of 12 bullying MP, she should report them.

Sir Paul Beresford, the Conservative MP, asks if it would be appropriate for the parliamentary commissioner for standards to consider the allegations against some MPs that triggered the Cox report. And would it be sensible for the standards committee to review the rule saying investigations can only go back seven years.

Leadsom says those are good suggestions and the House of Commons commission should consider them on Monday.

Leadsom suggests the House of Commons commission should consider getting the Commons standards watchdog to investigate John Bercow, and other MPs.

James Duddridge: problem is MPs who 'belittle, mimic and mock' others -and Bercow was guilty. Constantly amazes me that every single time (no matter how serious the issue) the Speaker calls the Father of the House to speak he says 'Mr Kenneth Claaaaaaark' as if it was hilarious

Labour’s Sir Kevin Barron says there should be no limits on how far back in the past investigations can go.

Leadsom says when the working group looked at this, it considered this issue. But the group also took the view that it would be difficult to judge MPs for things that happened in the past against rules drawn up now. She says they took external advice that backed this up. And, the further back you went, the more problematic that became.